The Force and the Art of Astromech Maintenance
by doconnor
Summary: In which our heroes attempt to open a door that they themselves had closed


Obiwan, Anakin, Asoka and R2-D2 ran into the room as blaster fire filled the hallway.

Anakin yelled, "Artoo, close this door!"

The Droid beeped in response, hooked himself into the computer interface and the meter thick door slammed itself shut. They where all surprised at the deep noise it made.

Obiwan looked around and asked, "Where have you gotten us now?"

Anakin sounded impatient, "It wasn't my idea to try to sneak around the battle droids."

"How was I to know they where monitoring the internal sensors?"

Ahsoka interrupted the debate. "I think is the radiological processing lab."

Anakin looked around at the equipment that surrounded them. It was the special room on Separatist ships where radiation hardened droids would prepare special isotopes for use in the ship's reactors.

Obiwan was less familiar with what the devices where used for. "Artoo, check the radiation level."

R2-D2 whistled reassuringly. Anakin translated while examining one of the pieces of equipment, "It's safe enough for now."

Suddenly there was a muffled explosion and the whole room trembled. The lights flickered out and R2-D2 let out an alarm.

Anakin turned on his lightsaber for light. "The power is out."

Obiwan said in a serious tone, "I guess they got through the shields. This ship doesn't have much time left. We'd better get out of here."

Artoo whistled in agreement.

Anakin put his hand on the door. "These walls are way to thick to cut through with our lightsabers." He was interrupted as the room shook from another hit to the ship. "Artoo do you think you can get this door open?"

He sounded unsure as he reconnected to the computer port. He turned his dome and hummed sadly.

Anakin looked at the door controls. "Well, I suppose I could hotwire this thing." He ripped off the panel and started poking around. Without needing to be asked R2-D2 rotated his hologram projector towards Anakin and shined its light where Anakin was working. He glanced at Ahsoka. "I'm going to need some wire and parts."

"I'll get right on it, Master," she said and then started slicing up the equipment with her lightsaber, sending sparks flying.

Obiwan rolled his eyes. "You know, Ahsoka, he is supposed to teaching you to be a Jedi Knight, not a electronic tech."

Ahsoka mumbled something about knowledge and wisdom, but Obiwan could understand because she was holding wire cutters with her teeth.

Anakin suddenly said, "I need your lightsaber, Obiwan."

He looked over to see R2-D2 soldering wires inside his own body. He reluctantly handed his lightsaber over. His fears proved justified as Anakin cut off the end with his own lightsaber and the power cells fell on the floor.

Anakin noticed Obiwan's look of shock on his face. After to rumble of a distant explosion he said, "It's just a lightsaber. You shouldn't get attached to things like that."

Obiwan tried to argue, but the shaking ship drowned out any argument he could think of. He watched Anakin put together the bits and pieces Ahsoka handed him, but had no idea what he was trying to do.

Anakin suddenly said, "I think I got it. I got it!" He connected three wires together, but instead of the door opening an alarm sounded, a blinking red light filled the room and a computerized voice announced, "Radiation leak detached, engaging shielding." The walls suddenly began to glow blue as the force field activated.

Artoo was right next to the wall and sparked as he was caught in the force field. He screamed as he jumped across the room, the corner of his foot smoking.

Ahsoka ran to his aid. "Are you okay Artooie?"

Artoo moaned.

The room was now lit by the dim blue light from the force field. Obi-wan turned to Anakin. "So, what's the plan, now?"

"How was I supposed to know they had a radiation detector in the door panel. Artoo, can you access the computer port? We got to turn off this shielding."

Artoo reluctantly agreed and slowly rolled back to the port and plugged back in. After a short time Artoo looked at Anakin and explained the situation.

Anakin was surprised. "Encrypted! Why would they encrypt their radiation shielding?"

After waiting for another explosion, Obiwan asked, "Why don't we use the Force to open this door?"

Anakin looked at the door carefully and probed its structure with his mind. "The locking system is too complex. One false move and it will get so bent out of shape, nothing will open it. We will have to use Artoo to slice it (according to Wookieepedia slice is Star Wars lingo for cracking into computer system). Hand me those." Anakin pointed to some chips he had pulled from Artoo.

Obiwan picked them up and looked carefully at them. "Are these slicerchips?"

Anakin took them from his hand and said, "Mm mm." The ship shutter, again.

"You know under the new rules only the Republic Intelligent Services are supped to have these."

"Hey, we collect intelligence all the time with these."

Obiwan looked down to see Anakin was installing the chips inside R2-D2 in a bank with many others. "How many of those things do you have?"

"Seventeen."

Obiwan raised his eyebrows. "This little droid has more computational power then an entire cruiser. No wonder you always beat me in hyperspace jumps."

Anakin closed the access panel on Artoo and stood up. "Ready, Snips?"

Ahsoka pressed a button on the other side of him and said, "Ready!"

"You know what to do, little buddy." Artoo rolled up to the access port and connected again.

Obiwan wasn't impressed with Anakin familiar tone with the droid, but he was no longer his student, so he held his tongue. The rumbling from the barrage on the ship was getting considerably louder. "Even with all those slicerchips, isn't breaking a Separatist code going to take a couple of hours?"

"Don't worry, Obiwan. The Force is with him." Anakin smiled, reveling in the controversy he raised. Ahsoka looked up her Master knowingly.

Obiwan had had enough. "Listen, this is a droid. A thing. It is not your buddy. It is not strong with the Force. It is a waste of your time to be fiddling with him when you should be meditating with your Padawan. It of no more importance then this ship we are about to be blown up with."

"Artoo, tell him what it you average speed to slice compared to the expected value."

Artoo whistled a number and Ahsoka translated, "42%."

Obiwan's mouth went agape. "But that is statistically imposs..."

Anakin interrupted, "Artoo, tell him you speed when our lives are in danger."

Artoo whistled a lower number. "29%."

Obiwan was speechless.

Anakin looked down at his Padawan and she sat down cross legged and began to meditate. "Master Kenobi, if you want to live I suggest you join us meditating on this droid."

Obiwan hesitated, but sat down with Anakin and began. He felt the Force flowing from Anakin and Ahsoka into the droid. He followed their path through Artoo into each of the slicerchips. He felt that they where focusing on a particular spot on the chip, so he followed them to a micron sized structure which generated random numbers that where used to guess the keys.

He settled his focus on the tiny structures. Surprising to him, it was not dissimilar to focusing the Force to heal an injury. Everything was more angular and metallic then inside a living being, but the complexity and the purposeful order felt the same.

As Obiwan meditated he realized the advantages Anakin had growing up on Tatooine. Even though he was a slave, he learned a great deal about droids, far more then any other Jedi. He was able to apply this knowledge to his role as a Jedi Knight in many ways and he was able to use the Force to help him modify Artoo. He was fortunate he was so strong in the Force he quickly caught up to and surpassed his peers in his training, so his late start wasn't really a disadvantage.

He began wondering if it was a mistake to start training younglings so early. While most would not be as powerful as Anakin, allowing them to develop other skills first could make up for the delay, although the results would be a lot less predictable.

It had been only about ten minutes, during which the tremors of the ship had become bone rattling, when Artoo beeped that he had broke the code so he could unlock to door.

The Jedi stood up. Ahsoka put her hand on Artoo's dome. "Good job!"

"Yes, a remarkable feat for a droid," Obiwan said as he picked up the power cell for his lightsaber, realizing he would have to ask Anakin to repair it later.

Anakin and Ahsoka took position in front of the door with their lightsabers ready to meet the barrage of blaster fire they would meet. R2-D2 opened the door and they all stepped out into the relative safety of a room full of panicking battle droids.

_End Theme_

Based upon Star Wars, created by George Lucas.


End file.
